The English Garden Margarita of the Year

March 21, 2017

This post is sponsored by Patrón. All opinions are my own. Thank you for reading and supporting the partnerships that keep the cocktails flowing on Craft + Cocktails!

Happy spring! I could not be any more excited that it has arrived. Spring means warm weather, picnics, al fresco dinners + Margaritas, lots of Margaritas, are in my near future! Could you think of a more refreshing drink on a sunny day than a Margarita? Me neither! I recently got to try a delicious Marg featuring Earl Grey tea, peas (yes peas!), smoked salt + Patrón Tequila, it’s a springy, fun take on the classic. We have been having amazing weather here in the Bay Area (sorry to the East Coasters) so I couldn’t wait to put together a little garden cocktail party to share the English Garden Margaritas with my friends.

Instead of a tea party, I hosted a garden tea cocktail party! The margaritas do have Earl Grey in them after all ; ) When making cocktails outside the kitchen/my home bar, I like to make them simple to build (i.e. put together in the shaker or mixing glass) so I plan cocktails that I can prep all the ingredients ahead of time and they can then come together in seconds. Egg whites and muddling is out. Instead I opt for making flavorful syrups ahead of time and feature fresh juices that can be pressed right before the party starts.

I could talk about the finger sandwiches and and cheese boards that I served for the garden party that complimented the Margaritas, but you are here for the drinks after all! The English Garden Margaritas I mixed up are both citrusy + earthy with a fresh herbal fragrance. Earl Grey is made with bergamot orange which goes well with the other bright notes from the Patrón Orange Liqueur, apricot liqueur + lemon (gasp! no limes in this Marg ya’ll!) Snappy peas may seem like an odd ingredient for drinks, but are perfect for adding a slight savory note with out overwhelming any delicate flavors. Pumpkin oil gives the drink a toasted touch that surprises the tastebuds paired with the flavorful smoked salt. Last, but by no means least, Patrón Silver ties it all together in one perfect little sip! Have I sold you yet on running to the store to get things right NOW to whip up this fabulous spring sipper?! They were a hit at the cocktail party + definitely went down easy on a hot (75 degrees!!) day in SF. The English Garden Margarita is actually in the running for the title of Margarita of the Year, sooo kind of a big deal! There are some other amazing Margarita recipes, but my favorite is the English Garden of course! You can check out all of the other tasty tipples here + cast your vote for your favorite on Twitter + Facebook for a chance to help name the #MargaritaOfTheYear. Join me in making the #EnglishGardenMargarita trend!

Directions: Make the earl gray tea syrup. Add liquid ingredients to a cocktail shaker, along with 1 cracked sugar snap pea and 1 sprig of mint. Fill cocktail shaker with ice and shake vigorously. Use a fine strainer to strain into glass rimmed with pumpkin oil and smoked salt. Garnish with mint sprig and sugar snap pea.

Earl Grey Tea Syrup

Add 1 cup water and 1 up sugar to a sauce pan. Bring to a boil and take off the heat. Add 5 Earl Grey tea bags and let steep until cool. Remove tea bags and pour into a sealed container. Store in the fridge for up to 1 month.

Don’t forget to head here to vote for the English Garden Margarita as Margarita of the Year! And remember the perfect way to enjoy Patrón is responsibly.